Red Flags
by klutzysunshine
Summary: Phil calls in Andrew for help when some of the things Grant says about Garrett raises red flags.


**I don't own Agents of SHIELD nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Warnings:** Mentions of physical and sexual abuse.

* * *

Some of the things Grant said about Garrett raised red flags for Phil. Like now for instance. "Garrett's punishments were intense but you go easy on me when I fuck up. I like that," Grant stated.

Phil froze and tried to pretend nothing was wrong despite the alarms ringing in his head. "Really?" he fished, hoping Grant would tell him what these so-called punishments entailed.

He bobbed his head in confirmation. "Yeah." THen Grant shrugged and went back to his assigned task.

Phil excused himself and then headed to his office to call Andrew. "I need your expert opinion on this, Andrew. He's not going to want to go to therapy so that presents a problem." He frowned.

"Just tell him it's non-negotiable if he wants to continue doing odd jobs with the team," Andrew replied. "I'll be there on the next flight out."

"Thanks."

"No problem but you still owe me, Phil. I think I've helped everyone on your team at this point. See you soon." Then Andrew ended the conversation by hanging up.

True to his word, Andrew showed up eighteen hours later and Grant hesitantly entered the office against his wishes and with a sense of trepidation. He scowled at the therapist before reluctantly sitting down in a chair. "I don't want to be here."

He laughed. "You aren't the first nor will you be the last to say that. Grant, we're here today because you've said some things that alarmed Director Coulson. He just wants to make sure you're alright."

Grant tried to go back over what he could have said that led to this but couldn't come up with anything. "I'm fine," he tried hopefully.

Andrew wasn't falling for it. "Tell me, when did you meet John Garrett?"

Nobody had ever asked Grant that before so the question caught him off guard. "Why do you want to know?" He needed to stall as long as possible and tried to ignore that his hands were starting to get clammy.

"Stop evading and answer the question."

Grant sighed and looked down at his hands. "Fifteen," he mumbled.

Andrew couldn't hear him. "Speak up," he ordered.

He snapped then, already hating this line of question. "I was fifteen! I tried to burn my parents' house down with my older brother inside and was sent to juvie. Garrett showed up and offered me a way out so I took it."

Andrew wasn't surprised by much but that shocked him. "He kidnapped you," he surmised.

Grant stared at him in confusion. "No ,you're wrong. I went with him willingly." Hadn't he?

Andrew knew he had to tread carefully or Grant would go on the defensive. "I know you don't want to hear this but you're wrong. You were a minor who couldn't legally consent to going with him."

His mind was sent into a tailspin by that revelation. He didn't know how to respond either. "Okay."

"Tell me what happened after you went with him."

"He took me to Wyoming and left me in the woods with his dog, Buddy." Grant felt his heart break again at the thought of his best friend, his only companion for five years. "He didn't come back for six months but he dropped in occasionally to train me for the next five years." He had a feeling everything he thought he knew was about to crash down on him and he couldn't even stop it from happening.

A chill went down Andrew's spine. This kid had been abandoned in the woods with only a dog for companionship? Fuck. And based on Phil's mention of punishments, he had a feeling this conversation was about to take another dark turn. "Director Coulson told me you've talked about punishments," he prompted.

Grant's head shot up. He had something to Phil about them? Why had he done that? "I deserved them," was his only reply.

Andrew kept the look of horror off his face (he was a professional after all). "Deserved what?"

He didn't want to say it out loud and couldn't understand why. He bit his lip before answering. "Beatings," he hesitantly murmured.

Andrew took a minute to pull himself together. "You didn't deserve those beatings at all. You never did. Grant, I know this will be hard to hear but that's abuse."

His mind screeched to a halt. "No it isn't. My parents and Christian abused me. Garrett only wanted me to be better even though he turned me into a killer."

"Think about all these 'punishments'. Isn't that the exact same thing your family did to you, Grant?"

Grant felt cornered and lashed out. "Fuck you, you're wrong. We're done here." He stood up and stormed out of the room before heading to the kitchen to grab something to eat. His hands trembled as he grabbed a fork and dug into the piece of chocolate cake he had been saving. The nausea he had been pushing down rose up within him and put a stop to that quickly. Garrett hadn't abused him. That couldn't be true.

Even though Grant didn't want to go, he still showed up for the second session the next day and scowled at Andrew, tired because he hadn't been able to sleep. "You don't look well," Andrew noted. He had to tread even more carefully today so he didn't spook the former specialist.

"I'm just fine," he lied as his palms started to sweat because of nerves.

"Are you ready to talk about those punishments?" he enquired.

A hesitant nod. "He'd hit me every time I fucked up. I deserved the beatings."

"Nobody deserves what you went through, Grant. It's important you know that." Andrew flashed a smile at him.

Grant didn't know whether to believe him. "I miss him sometimes. I know I shouldn't because he ruined my life but I do." A weight lifted off his shoulders with that admission and he felt lighter even though panic was overwhelming his system.

"He was a big part of your life and there's nothing wrong with mourning John Garrett," Andrew assured him.

Grant's nausea returned at the thought of what he was about to admit next. "And sometimes John punished me like my mother did." He felt like he was forever tainted and disgusting because of it.

Andrew cocked his head. "You're safe here, Grant. You can tell me."

"Mother used to sneak into my room at night." He suspected she did the same thing with Christian. "And Garrett said sometimes it was the only way to make up my screw-ups to him." What if Andrew judged and blamed him?

Andrew's heart broke for the broken man in front of him and he leaned forward. "None if it was your fault, Grant. They were sick and the blame lies with them. None of this falls on you."

He didn't believe him. "I'm a monster and everyone who's met me known there's something wrong with me." Grant flashed Andrew a brittle smile as his voice cracked. "There's a reason no one loves me, Doctor Garner. They all knew it way before I did."

"Grant, none of that is true. You are loved by this team. You've also made some pretty big and horrific mistakes but you were abused by four different people your whole life. It doesn't excuse your actions but at least you own up to them. This is something you don't need to take the blame for, I swear. Your parents, brother, and John Garrett abusing you is on them and them only. I'm proud of you for coming forward."

Tears poured down Grant's face and he needed to escape. "Can I go?"

"Of course. We'll talk again tomorrow."

Grant fled and once they realized no one had heard from him in a few hours, Skye went looking for him. She found him in a corner, hugging his knees to his chest. She kneeled down next to him. "You okay? Andrew's pretty tough."

"I'm not okay," he admitted as sobs wracked his face. "Garrett kidnapped and abused me and I never once realized it before."

Skye did a double take at that revelation but recovered before he noticed. "Can I hug you?" When he nodded, she went in for it. "You are so tough and strong."

He eyed her skeptically. "I'm not, Skye. I"m weak."

"I don't know the full story but that is so off base," she soothed.

After letting down his knees, Grant buried his face in her chest as the sobs let loose once again. Now that he had started crying he couldn't stop. "Where's Coulson?" The former specialist hoped Andrew hadn't told him went down in their sessions. He was embarrassed and felt ashamed.

Skye sent off a quick text to him. "He's coming."

"Thanks," he whispered.

"You're welcome." She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of Grant's head.

Phil found the two of them locked in an embrace as Skye rocked Grant back and forth to calm him down. "Andrew helped?" he guessed.

"I'm sorry, boss. I'm such a fucking mess." And Grant felt like a child for blubbering on Skye. The last time he had cried this hard had been in the car after the first mission back with the team, when he hung up the phone with Phil.

"I've seen worse. This is nothing," Phil joked to lighten the mood.

Fitz stumbled upon them a few minutes later, took one look at Grant's tear-stained face, and joined the trio. "I don't know what happened but I'm here to support you if you need it."

"Thanks, buddy."

"You're welcome."

Jemma "coincidentally" happened upon them less than five minutes later and sat down next to eh group. "Whatever it is you need from, Ward, I'm here. We're family, remember?"

"That's right. You can't get rid of us," Skye chimed in.

Melinda appeared with a sigh. "I need to be here for a group hug?"

"Yes!" Fitz answered enthusiastically.

She glared for a second before sitting down with a huff. "I hope you're happy."

"We are," Phil replied.

Grant choked on another sob and pulled himself together to thank his family. "I love all of you," he told them.

"Same," Skye said.

"You're ours now and that's that." Phil wasn't letting this kid hurt alone anymore if he could help it despite the fact that he didn't know the full story.

Melinda groaned. "just had to adopt another one, didn't you?"

"Shut up, you like it too," he playfully shot back.

"Do you want me to make you brownies? They're your favorite." Jemma was eager to help any way she could.

Grant liked the sound of that. "Please."

"You … want to let me kick your arse at a video game?" Fitz offered.

He laughed. "Sure."

"Coulson and I are available any time you want to talk." Skye loved him too much to allow Grant to keep suffering like this.

"Okay." He appreciated their help so much that words couldn't convey his gratitude.

Grant continued to open up in his sessions with Andrew, although they were painful and hard to get through. He still didn't think he could ever be a good man but that didn't stop him from attempting to redeem himself. Eventually, he also told the team the whole truth with Andrew by his side for support. Fortunately, they were all encouraging and supportive in his efforts to better himself and heal.


End file.
